Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) is a black bear rescue facility located just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend, Tennessee. ABR is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that has been returning black bears back to the wild since 1996. Each year black bears from our national parks and surrounding areas are orphaned, injured, or in need of medical care. Thanks to Appalachian Bear Rescue, these bears are given a second chance at life in the wild.
Every day, we work hard to account for every cub. In fact, we do it multiple times every day. Though we have great cameras, they can't see into every corner of the enclosures. It often takes Curators with binoculars and lots of patience to find the little rascals. When we look on the cameras, we sometimes just find glimpses of cubs doing their cubby things. We hope you enjoy seeing a few of those cubby things.
Thank you for your kind words wishing Plum P Bear a successful life back in the wild where she belongs. We are happy we could care for her for just a few days and even happier that she's back in the wild.
Thank you for all you do for our little bears. We couldn't do our work without YOU! Don't forget to sign up for the ABR Bearly 5K. The event happens on Saturday, October 26th. You can walk/run in Townsend with us, or you can walk/run for the cubs in your neck of the woods. Here's the link to sign up. It's all for fun and FOR THE BEARS! appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2024-bearly-5k-run-walk-participant-signup... See MoreSee Less
Wonderful video. So glad to see that Spruce continues to do well and tolerate confinement. He is starting to fill out some. I could not believe Jackie P! He is starting to look like a smaller version of Jellybean! All of the cubs have beautiful shiny coats. That’s what a good healthy diet does for you! I pray that Plum P is much happier now that she is back in the wild 💞
🙏🏻🐻♥️x27 plus curators
Those cameras are wonderful in giving us an opportunity to watch them at play. This is the most carefree time they will ever have when food is plentiful and literally rains from the sky, pools are filled and just waiting to be used, and they have the company of other little bears to play with. In watching Scooby, you could just tell he was thoroughly enjoying being in the water. I couldn't help but wish that he had a ball to play with. Loved the video! <3
I love watching the cubby chaos, but why WE3…just why???? Well… carry on with the cubby madness! So glad all our precious babies are well! Thanks for update and all y’all do for these precious bears 🐻💕
It's so sad that humans have taken over so much space in the mountainous areas. The bears need space. But, so many people go to the mountains in search of bears, that they will do whatever it takes to lure them. Bears should be viewed from a distance. These same people would not treat, say skunks, in the same way. People need to respect nature, not destroy it. Bears are going to follow their noses to wherever the food is, whether it's in a vehicle or a cabin or even a dumpster. I believe anyone caught approaching or willfully feeding a bear should be fined and punished. I wish the best to Plum P, and I hope she will flourish in her new territory.
This is kind of sad that she gone so quickly, but on the other hand, I'm so happy that she was able to be taken care of by ABR, given the deworming meds, received a full check up to make sure she was healthy, and is now back where she belongs, in the wild. Another success story in my book. And seeing as how she spent a great deal of her time sitting on that log looking out into the enclosure, I'm sure it was just a matter of time before she began a steady pacing back and forth, and getting a lot of anxiety, which is not a good thing. I pray she's happy and can establish her own territory, and that there is ample food supply for her to do what bears do at this time of year, eat, eat, eat, to put on the fat supplies with the upcoming hibernation season. Again, many thanks to ABR for all you do.
Plum P Bear was miserable from the very beginning. With her larger than average size, plus not being used to being around other cubs, there were really no options for putting her out with the current cubs. She is at the size now that some of the cubs might be when they are released later this year. Plum made it well known that while she appreciated the hospitality at ABR, it was just not for her. Run free sweet Plum. I pray you have a long and prosperous wild bear life, far away from any human contact. 🙏🏻🐻♥️
September 4th 2024 - BearWise Business SHOUTOUT 🐻📢🍹
Appalachian Bear Rescue would like to acknowledge Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg for working hard to become a BearWise business. While they are technically located outside of the city's ordinance zone, they still recognized the importance of becoming BearWise, both for their visitors and for black bears.
Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg is just finishing up a few more requirements before they will be officially recognized as a BearWise Business by TWRA. Using their own funds, they have replaced 17 of their outdoor trash receptacles with 12 new bear-resistant ones.👏
Way to Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg! Kudos to you & thank you from a local that loves our bears 🐻 ❤️
Good for them, but this should be required of all Gatlinburg businesses and cabins as well as the City itself, enforced by hefty fines which could then help fund the care of these orphans they directly cause.
Thank you Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg for setting an example for other businesses to hopefully follow BearWise protocols. There has to be a starting point somewhere and it looks like you have taken that step! MUCH appreciated!
🙏🏻🐻♥️
Sometimes, we glance at the cameras and see things that make hearts (our, not theirs) race. If we could only look away! But we can't. We watch and record so that you can watch without fear. You may cringe just a little, but rest assured, all cubs are unharmed. Curators just have a few more white hairs!
All the other bears at ABR are doing well. Meadow is spending time with the others over in Enclosure 1. Spruce is making an A+ on his only assignment...EAT. Plum P Bear is reluctantly tolerating her confinement and has finished her worm meds. All is calm on the Cubby Front.
Thank you for all you do for our little bears. You give them a second chance at life in the wild where they belong. Sign up today to show your support and walk or run in the 2024 ABR Bearly 5K. The date is Saturday, October 26th. Join us at our Trillium Cove Visitor Center in Townsend at 10:00 a.m., or walk/run for the bears in your neck of the woods. Send us a photo of you in your event tee. We will include all the photos in an event video. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2024-bearly-5k-run-walk-participant-signup... See MoreSee Less
If I were still a youngster, I would have loved their shenanigans in the tall trees. But, as a great-grandmother, I frankly found it terrifying! Next time they pull a stunt like that, please tell them I said "Get Down - Now!"
Oh my, they are having so much fun. I am sure the Curators have alot more gray hair. Thank you for all that you do.❤🐻❤×27+Spruce Bear
Are they pruning that hemlock tree? These guys are real daredevils.
Our 27 seven-month-old black bear cubs have one main job: to chubbify. However, that doesn’t prevent them from having side gigs in plumbing, demolition, and detective work.
A cub in WE#1 put its natural “nosey Parker” gene to use, detecting what the flaps in Hartley House did and who was on the other side. The flaps hide vents leading into the Hartley House rooms, and many cubs have discovered that by raising them, they can sniff the resident inside. At present, Hartley House is vacant, so all this cub detective got was the residual scent of its last occupant and a snootful of non-toxic floor cleaner.🐻
Jellybean checks out the pipe he broke at least twice a day. We wonder if he expects it to repair itself. Regardless, black bears make dreadful plumbers, and you must never hire one. However, they are demolition experts, though directing that expertise is impossible. Best not hire bears for that either.🐻💥
Spruce Bear, our yearling, is happily obeying the prime directive: EAT! EAT! EAT! He doesn’t need any part-time work; he’s occupied full-time.🐻🥜🍎
Our recent arrival, Plum Bear, is eating well, but her confinement is wearing on her. She’s pacing, and it has increased in frequency and duration. The curators and the TWRA are conferring on what to do for Plum.🐻
The cubs in WE#3 added “chaos” to the list of possible side gigs for bears. Without warning, they burst out of the undergrowth and launched an unprovoked attack on The Forbidden Tree! Twice! The tree remains unconquered, and the cubs have retreated, maybe to plot another attempt, but more likely to forage for yummies. Bears don’t plot well. Do not hire them for your plotting needs.🐻
Thank you for helping our cubs and Spruce return to the wild. We hope you have a safe and happy Labor Day. ❤️
🧸Visit our online store to virtually adopt a cub or to buy any of the merchandise unique to ABR. We’re sorry, but purchases are restricted to the USA. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
Poor sweet Plum Bear. She just does not understand her confinement. I pray something can be worked out soon to get her outside. So happy to see that Spruce is now on regular food and apparently doing his only job well - fattening up! All the other little hooligans seem to be doing quite well, especially in the shenanigans department 😂
🙏🏻🐻♥️x28 plus curators
I love your witty post today. The cubs are so lucky to have all of you! <3
I’m actually shocked that the cubs haven’t mastered the forbidden tree. 🤷🏻♀️
ABR Daily Update-September 1, 2024- Mischief, Meals, and Maintenance 🐻
Weather: 84F (29C) Humidity 64%, Partly Cloudy 🌤️
Our twenty-seven black bear cubs are heavily invested in filling their tummies. It’s that time of year when eating occupies most of their waking hours. However, our cubs always make time for mischief and mayhem. When presented with a choice, they usually choose violence, opting for wrestling and cub-swatting, which remain popular activities even among our ravenous little bears.
Plum Bear’s confinement to The Cub House will end early next week. Today’s photos are almost identical to those we posted yesterday; when she’s not eating or pacing, she sits on the log and stares out into the enclosure. We’ve never seen a resident do this; Plum reminds us that every bear is an individual.
Spruce Bear, our yearling, is eating everything offered and would like more, please. The curators are gradually increasing the quantity of food, and soon he’ll be on a full regular diet. This is important for Spruce, as he won’t be going into a Wild Enclosure, so he needs to gain weight while in The Recovery Center. We predict he’ll put on the pounds very quickly.
Facility maintenance is a daily chore that must be completed while accommodating the needs of our current residents. Hartley House is free at the moment, so the curators are cleaning it inside and out. We never know when another bear will require shelter within its rooms, so the curators have to make the most of every day it’s vacant.
Thank you for helping our cubs and Spruce return to the wild.❤️
🧸Visit our online store to virtually adopt a cub or to buy any of the merchandise unique to ABR. We’re sorry, but purchases are restricted to the USA. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com
Enjoy your updates very much. With this many bears in residence I am surprised you have the time. I believe this is the greatest numbers of bears you have had since I have been following your page. Thanks for helping each and everyone of them!
I didn’t know you all had merch and that you could adopt the cubs?! I was so excited learning this that I forgot to add some things to my order and also completely ordered the wrong notepad before placing my order! 🤦♀️🤦♀️ Whoops! Of course I just HAD to place a second order to fix this! 😂😂 I asked this in the notes of my order, but please let me know if you can combine my two orders so I can only pay one shipping fee (if possible). I also live an hour away and will be in the area next month and could even pick up my order. I’m so excited to adopt Puff Bear and The Gatlinbughers!!
Thanks for all you do for the cubs! The cubs have stolen my heart. I’m so invested in them and their progress! And now I also can’t help but buy things and adopt cubs from the website because of it! 🤷♀️😂
Oh my goodness such cubby mayhem! Glad to hear Spruce is doing well, I’m quite sure Plum is ready to be in WE. Thank you for the update and all that y’all do for our precious bears 🐻
We’re happy you enjoyed reading about Lucinda Bear in the update we posted earlier today. We seldom receive news about our former residents, and very rarely is it such good news. And now, back to the present.
We currently have 27 black bear cubs and 1 yearling in residence. Spruce Bear, our yearling, has access to the two interior rooms of The Recovery Center, plus the adjoining acclimation pen. Spruce is very malnourished, and while it’s natural to want to give him lots of food all at once, that could make him very sick and possibly kill him. To avoid “refeeding syndrome,” which can occur in severely malnourished animals and humans, the curators present him with small meals twice a day. His mouth injuries also require these small meals to be soft.
Today, at the first sitting, Spruce was offered 2 cups of yogurt, 1/2 cup of crushed puppy chow, 1/4 cup of mealworms, 1/2 cup of berries, 1/2 cup of grapes, honey, 1 tomato, and a small bowl of cubby sauce (pureed fruits) containing his deworming and pain medications. If the tomato seems like an odd addition, it does to us too. We’ve never fed our bears tomatoes, but a generous couple donated some to us, and we wondered if Spruce would like one. Black bears are omnivorous, but when they don’t like something, they won’t eat it. Spruce ate and loved it! We won’t be adding tomatoes to the regular bear menu, as they are quite acidic, but our cubs are in for a treat over the next few days.
Plum Bear, our most recent arrival, was named by Curator Greg, who said he had never seen such a plump seven-month-old cub. Given her mother’s history, we’d bet that her weight wasn’t gained foraging for natural foods. Trash provides bears with thousands of calories without them having to travel to find food. However, trash can create very fat, very unhealthy bears, and it can kill them outright; all sorts of toxic items get mixed in with trash.
Understandably, Plum isn’t happy with us or her confinement. Given her size and righteous anger, we’re glad we built The Cub House with cinderblocks and not straw or sticks, as that shady Three Pigs Construction Company suggested. We doubt we’d have a building left. Plum needs to be outside, and the curators hope to let her out as soon as she finishes her deworming medication.🐻
The rest of the cubs are doing well. They’re entering hyperphagia, the yearly phase in a black bear’s life that compels them to eat as much as possible in preparation for winter and hibernation. The cubs look fluffier; the coat they were born with is changing into their first winter coat. The seasons are changing. 🐻
Thank you for giving our many cubs and one yearling a second chance at life in the wild.
🐻Visit our online store to buy any of the merchandise unique to ABR. We’re sorry, but purchases are restricted to the USA. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
EDIT NEEDED? “Thank you for belong our many cubs and one yearling get a second chance at life in the wild?” The last sentence of this post.
I have a question about apples (and tomatoes) as cub food. I am guessing that there are wild or abandoned apple trees within bear country and that bears would come across wild apples, cherries and other domesticated fruits and nuts. Does feeding them fruit that is also found in peoples' yards encourage them to visit residences? Is there any way to know. I DO understand why you are feeding them apples; with 27 cubs I am sure that tons of excess fruit from peoples' trees is a godsend. I am just curious if it could create a conflict.
Thank you again for the update on former ABR alumni Lucinda and her beautiful cubs. This makes all your hard work and dedication so worthwhile. The true mission statement of ABR ♥️. This came at a time when we all needed sone uplifting news. It appears that Spruce is getting gourmet meals with his smaller feedings. Glad he seems to be enjoying them. I know that Plum must be very confused by her situation and hope that she can be outside soon. She is quite the big girl, maybe even Jellyvean sized. Speaking of Jellybean, I can’t believe he and his accomplice tore up the cubby pool plumbing again! Can bears be put in Time Out 😂. I guess the C-C sisters might not agree. Thank you for your continued love and care for these unfortunate waifs 🙏🏻🐻♥️x28 plus curators
ABR Daily Update - August 31, 2024 - Some Good News! 📰🎉🐻
Thank you for your generous welcome of Plum Bear, our most recent arrival. She’s doing well, and we’ll post a second update late this afternoon about all our 27 cubs and Spruce Bear.
We rarely hear about our former residents, and when we do, it’s usually bad news. At last, we’ve heard something different—something good!
Do any of you remember Lucinda Bear? Lucinda, a female yearling, arrived at Appalachian Bear Rescue on May 24, 2016. She was about sixteen months old and weighed only 18 pounds, another victim of the Famine of 2015-2016, caused by a failure of the hard mast (acorns and nuts). Bears didn’t hibernate that year because they lacked enough fat reserves to trigger their instinct; instead, they foraged all winter for what little food they could find. It was a terrible year; we took in 36 bears in 2015, followed by another 23 in early 2016. This remains our record, one we don’t want to break.🤞
All Lucinda needed was food and time, and we were happy to provide both. She was a clever cub who outwitted our then-curator, Coy Blair, several times by retrieving cherries from a Hav-a-Hart trap without triggering it. She had only seen a trap once—the day she was rescued—but she seemed to remember how it worked. Curator Coy was reduced to spying on her to see how she did it (it was balance and fancy footwork; very demure, very mindful). Finally, he startled her while she was eating the cherries; she tripped the trap, and the jig was up!
Lucinda spent time in the Cub House and in Acclimation Pen #4, which adjoined Wild Enclosure #4. Unknown to her, she was about to take part in an adventure in babysitting…baby bear sitting, that is. The sole occupant of WE #4 was Finnegan Bear, a cub who’d been in residence for months by himself. With no other cubs around, the curators were willing to take a very calculated risk and release Lucinda with him, hoping they might bond. Yearlings and cubs don’t usually mix in the wild, and that was true at ABR as well. Finnegan was curious about Lucinda, but she wanted nothing to do with him. With the arrival of cubs Andy and Eliza, Lucinda’s services (such as they were) were no longer needed, and she moved to an enclosure of her own.🐻
Lucinda thrived at ABR and was released back into the wild on July 18, 2016, weighing 54 pounds (24.49 kg). Yearlings are returned to the wild as soon as possible; they already have the skills to survive. However, Lucinda didn’t leave as she’d arrived. Unbeknownst to her, she sported a GPS tracking collar as part of Curator Coy’s 2015-2016 GPS collar study of our resident bears, post release. GPS collars are bulky, intrusive, risky, and expensive to operate; this was ABR’s first attempt at a collar study, and something we won’t do again unless their is another study or if a wildlife agency responsible for our bears asks.
Curator Coy followed Lucinda’s wanderings and actually saw a ground den she was using on January 20, 2017, six months after her release. Soon after, her GPS collar disengaged automatically, right on schedule, and Lucinda disappeared into the forest, closing our file on her…until last week.
Wildlife Biologist Ryan Williamson sent us photos of Lucinda (identified by her ear tags), who is now about nine and a half years old. The photos were taken several months ago—and she wasn’t alone! The yearling who wouldn’t babysit for us now has three cubs of her own! To top it off, we learned this is her third known litter. Lucinda established a home range in a remote area, but one visited at least yearly by wildlife biologists who’ve kept tabs on her. There were many leaky eyes at ABR; we’re so happy for Lucinda. This is what second chances are all about, and we thank you for giving Lucinda hers.🐻❤️
🧸Please visit our online store for a selection of products unique to ABR. We're sorry, orders are restricted to the USA only. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We usually post one update daily, seven days a week. There will be a second post late this afternoon. ... See MoreSee Less
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you for this amazing follow up story on Lucinda Bear! With all the sad stories lately regarding Momma Bears, it is wonderful to see this amazing ABR success story! Thank you Ranger Ryan, ABR, and of course beautiful Momma Bear Lucinda and her precious cubs. This is what it is all about! 🙏🏻🐻♥️
Oh this makes my heart happy!!!! I remember Lucinda well, and that awful year - that was when ABR became my most beloved animal rescue (and that's saying quite a lot, I have many I try to support as best I can). Lucinda is the absolute epitome of what ABR is all about. Yours weren't the only leaky eyes. Well done, ABR. Well done.
🐻 ... See MoreSee Less
47 CommentsComment on Facebook
Will the cubs that came in together as brother & sisters stay together in the wild or will they go their separate ways
I can relate with Slick 🥵
Slick is a heavy breather
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September 5, 2024: Glimpses Into Cubby Life
Every day, we work hard to account for every cub. In fact, we do it multiple times every day. Though we have great cameras, they can't see into every corner of the enclosures. It often takes Curators with binoculars and lots of patience to find the little rascals. When we look on the cameras, we sometimes just find glimpses of cubs doing their cubby things. We hope you enjoy seeing a few of those cubby things.
Thank you for your kind words wishing Plum P Bear a successful life back in the wild where she belongs. We are happy we could care for her for just a few days and even happier that she's back in the wild.
Thank you for all you do for our little bears. We couldn't do our work without YOU! Don't forget to sign up for the ABR Bearly 5K. The event happens on Saturday, October 26th. You can walk/run in Townsend with us, or you can walk/run for the cubs in your neck of the woods. Here's the link to sign up. It's all for fun and FOR THE BEARS! appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2024-bearly-5k-run-walk-participant-signup ... See MoreSee Less
35 CommentsComment on Facebook
Wonderful video. So glad to see that Spruce continues to do well and tolerate confinement. He is starting to fill out some. I could not believe Jackie P! He is starting to look like a smaller version of Jellybean! All of the cubs have beautiful shiny coats. That’s what a good healthy diet does for you! I pray that Plum P is much happier now that she is back in the wild 💞 🙏🏻🐻♥️x27 plus curators
Those cameras are wonderful in giving us an opportunity to watch them at play. This is the most carefree time they will ever have when food is plentiful and literally rains from the sky, pools are filled and just waiting to be used, and they have the company of other little bears to play with. In watching Scooby, you could just tell he was thoroughly enjoying being in the water. I couldn't help but wish that he had a ball to play with. Loved the video! <3
I love watching the cubby chaos, but why WE3…just why???? Well… carry on with the cubby madness! So glad all our precious babies are well! Thanks for update and all y’all do for these precious bears 🐻💕
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ABR Bear #422 Released Back To The Wild!! 🐻🥳
(Yep, you read that right! Please watch the full video below for more information). ... See MoreSee Less
180 CommentsComment on Facebook
It's so sad that humans have taken over so much space in the mountainous areas. The bears need space. But, so many people go to the mountains in search of bears, that they will do whatever it takes to lure them. Bears should be viewed from a distance. These same people would not treat, say skunks, in the same way. People need to respect nature, not destroy it. Bears are going to follow their noses to wherever the food is, whether it's in a vehicle or a cabin or even a dumpster. I believe anyone caught approaching or willfully feeding a bear should be fined and punished. I wish the best to Plum P, and I hope she will flourish in her new territory.
This is kind of sad that she gone so quickly, but on the other hand, I'm so happy that she was able to be taken care of by ABR, given the deworming meds, received a full check up to make sure she was healthy, and is now back where she belongs, in the wild. Another success story in my book. And seeing as how she spent a great deal of her time sitting on that log looking out into the enclosure, I'm sure it was just a matter of time before she began a steady pacing back and forth, and getting a lot of anxiety, which is not a good thing. I pray she's happy and can establish her own territory, and that there is ample food supply for her to do what bears do at this time of year, eat, eat, eat, to put on the fat supplies with the upcoming hibernation season. Again, many thanks to ABR for all you do.
Plum P Bear was miserable from the very beginning. With her larger than average size, plus not being used to being around other cubs, there were really no options for putting her out with the current cubs. She is at the size now that some of the cubs might be when they are released later this year. Plum made it well known that while she appreciated the hospitality at ABR, it was just not for her. Run free sweet Plum. I pray you have a long and prosperous wild bear life, far away from any human contact. 🙏🏻🐻♥️
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September 4th 2024 - BearWise Business SHOUTOUT 🐻📢🍹
Appalachian Bear Rescue would like to acknowledge Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg for working hard to become a BearWise business. While they are technically located outside of the city's ordinance zone, they still recognized the importance of becoming BearWise, both for their visitors and for black bears.
Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg is just finishing up a few more requirements before they will be officially recognized as a BearWise Business by TWRA. Using their own funds, they have replaced 17 of their outdoor trash receptacles with 12 new bear-resistant ones.👏
Thank you Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg for leading by example and helping to protect eastern Tennessee's black bears! ... See MoreSee Less
162 CommentsComment on Facebook
Way to Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg! Kudos to you & thank you from a local that loves our bears 🐻 ❤️
Good for them, but this should be required of all Gatlinburg businesses and cabins as well as the City itself, enforced by hefty fines which could then help fund the care of these orphans they directly cause.
Thank you Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg for setting an example for other businesses to hopefully follow BearWise protocols. There has to be a starting point somewhere and it looks like you have taken that step! MUCH appreciated! 🙏🏻🐻♥️
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September 3, 2024: Enclosure 3 - Because They Can
Sometimes, we glance at the cameras and see things that make hearts (our, not theirs) race. If we could only look away! But we can't. We watch and record so that you can watch without fear. You may cringe just a little, but rest assured, all cubs are unharmed. Curators just have a few more white hairs!
All the other bears at ABR are doing well. Meadow is spending time with the others over in Enclosure 1. Spruce is making an A+ on his only assignment...EAT. Plum P Bear is reluctantly tolerating her confinement and has finished her worm meds. All is calm on the Cubby Front.
Thank you for all you do for our little bears. You give them a second chance at life in the wild where they belong. Sign up today to show your support and walk or run in the 2024 ABR Bearly 5K. The date is Saturday, October 26th. Join us at our Trillium Cove Visitor Center in Townsend at 10:00 a.m., or walk/run for the bears in your neck of the woods. Send us a photo of you in your event tee. We will include all the photos in an event video. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2024-bearly-5k-run-walk-participant-signup ... See MoreSee Less
51 CommentsComment on Facebook
If I were still a youngster, I would have loved their shenanigans in the tall trees. But, as a great-grandmother, I frankly found it terrifying! Next time they pull a stunt like that, please tell them I said "Get Down - Now!"
Oh my, they are having so much fun. I am sure the Curators have alot more gray hair. Thank you for all that you do.❤🐻❤×27+Spruce Bear
Are they pruning that hemlock tree? These guys are real daredevils.
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ABR Daily Update-September 2, 2024-Cubby Labor 🐻💪
Weather: 81F (27C) Humidity 67%, Partly cloudy 🌤️
Our 27 seven-month-old black bear cubs have one main job: to chubbify. However, that doesn’t prevent them from having side gigs in plumbing, demolition, and detective work.
A cub in WE#1 put its natural “nosey Parker” gene to use, detecting what the flaps in Hartley House did and who was on the other side. The flaps hide vents leading into the Hartley House rooms, and many cubs have discovered that by raising them, they can sniff the resident inside. At present, Hartley House is vacant, so all this cub detective got was the residual scent of its last occupant and a snootful of non-toxic floor cleaner.🐻
Jellybean checks out the pipe he broke at least twice a day. We wonder if he expects it to repair itself. Regardless, black bears make dreadful plumbers, and you must never hire one. However, they are demolition experts, though directing that expertise is impossible. Best not hire bears for that either.🐻💥
Spruce Bear, our yearling, is happily obeying the prime directive: EAT! EAT! EAT! He doesn’t need any part-time work; he’s occupied full-time.🐻🥜🍎
Our recent arrival, Plum Bear, is eating well, but her confinement is wearing on her. She’s pacing, and it has increased in frequency and duration. The curators and the TWRA are conferring on what to do for Plum.🐻
The cubs in WE#3 added “chaos” to the list of possible side gigs for bears. Without warning, they burst out of the undergrowth and launched an unprovoked attack on The Forbidden Tree! Twice! The tree remains unconquered, and the cubs have retreated, maybe to plot another attempt, but more likely to forage for yummies. Bears don’t plot well. Do not hire them for your plotting needs.🐻
Thank you for helping our cubs and Spruce return to the wild. We hope you have a safe and happy Labor Day. ❤️
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign:
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/
🧸Visit our online store to virtually adopt a cub or to buy any of the merchandise unique to ABR. We’re sorry, but purchases are restricted to the USA.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We post one update daily, seven days a week. ... See MoreSee Less
45 CommentsComment on Facebook
Poor sweet Plum Bear. She just does not understand her confinement. I pray something can be worked out soon to get her outside. So happy to see that Spruce is now on regular food and apparently doing his only job well - fattening up! All the other little hooligans seem to be doing quite well, especially in the shenanigans department 😂 🙏🏻🐻♥️x28 plus curators
I love your witty post today. The cubs are so lucky to have all of you! <3
I’m actually shocked that the cubs haven’t mastered the forbidden tree. 🤷🏻♀️
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ABR Daily Update-September 1, 2024- Mischief, Meals, and Maintenance 🐻
Weather: 84F (29C) Humidity 64%, Partly Cloudy 🌤️
Our twenty-seven black bear cubs are heavily invested in filling their tummies. It’s that time of year when eating occupies most of their waking hours. However, our cubs always make time for mischief and mayhem. When presented with a choice, they usually choose violence, opting for wrestling and cub-swatting, which remain popular activities even among our ravenous little bears.
Plum Bear’s confinement to The Cub House will end early next week. Today’s photos are almost identical to those we posted yesterday; when she’s not eating or pacing, she sits on the log and stares out into the enclosure. We’ve never seen a resident do this; Plum reminds us that every bear is an individual.
Spruce Bear, our yearling, is eating everything offered and would like more, please. The curators are gradually increasing the quantity of food, and soon he’ll be on a full regular diet. This is important for Spruce, as he won’t be going into a Wild Enclosure, so he needs to gain weight while in The Recovery Center. We predict he’ll put on the pounds very quickly.
Facility maintenance is a daily chore that must be completed while accommodating the needs of our current residents. Hartley House is free at the moment, so the curators are cleaning it inside and out. We never know when another bear will require shelter within its rooms, so the curators have to make the most of every day it’s vacant.
Thank you for helping our cubs and Spruce return to the wild.❤️
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign:
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/
🧸Visit our online store to virtually adopt a cub or to buy any of the merchandise unique to ABR. We’re sorry, but purchases are restricted to the USA.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We post one update daily, seven days a week. ... See MoreSee Less
33 CommentsComment on Facebook
Enjoy your updates very much. With this many bears in residence I am surprised you have the time. I believe this is the greatest numbers of bears you have had since I have been following your page. Thanks for helping each and everyone of them!
I didn’t know you all had merch and that you could adopt the cubs?! I was so excited learning this that I forgot to add some things to my order and also completely ordered the wrong notepad before placing my order! 🤦♀️🤦♀️ Whoops! Of course I just HAD to place a second order to fix this! 😂😂 I asked this in the notes of my order, but please let me know if you can combine my two orders so I can only pay one shipping fee (if possible). I also live an hour away and will be in the area next month and could even pick up my order. I’m so excited to adopt Puff Bear and The Gatlinbughers!! Thanks for all you do for the cubs! The cubs have stolen my heart. I’m so invested in them and their progress! And now I also can’t help but buy things and adopt cubs from the website because of it! 🤷♀️😂
Oh my goodness such cubby mayhem! Glad to hear Spruce is doing well, I’m quite sure Plum is ready to be in WE. Thank you for the update and all that y’all do for our precious bears 🐻
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ABR Daily Update #2 - August 31, 2024 - So Many! 🐻
Weather: 89°F (32°C), Humidity 51%, Partly Cloudy 🌤️
We’re happy you enjoyed reading about Lucinda Bear in the update we posted earlier today. We seldom receive news about our former residents, and very rarely is it such good news. And now, back to the present.
We currently have 27 black bear cubs and 1 yearling in residence. Spruce Bear, our yearling, has access to the two interior rooms of The Recovery Center, plus the adjoining acclimation pen. Spruce is very malnourished, and while it’s natural to want to give him lots of food all at once, that could make him very sick and possibly kill him. To avoid “refeeding syndrome,” which can occur in severely malnourished animals and humans, the curators present him with small meals twice a day. His mouth injuries also require these small meals to be soft.
Today, at the first sitting, Spruce was offered 2 cups of yogurt, 1/2 cup of crushed puppy chow, 1/4 cup of mealworms, 1/2 cup of berries, 1/2 cup of grapes, honey, 1 tomato, and a small bowl of cubby sauce (pureed fruits) containing his deworming and pain medications. If the tomato seems like an odd addition, it does to us too. We’ve never fed our bears tomatoes, but a generous couple donated some to us, and we wondered if Spruce would like one. Black bears are omnivorous, but when they don’t like something, they won’t eat it. Spruce ate and loved it! We won’t be adding tomatoes to the regular bear menu, as they are quite acidic, but our cubs are in for a treat over the next few days.
Plum Bear, our most recent arrival, was named by Curator Greg, who said he had never seen such a plump seven-month-old cub. Given her mother’s history, we’d bet that her weight wasn’t gained foraging for natural foods. Trash provides bears with thousands of calories without them having to travel to find food. However, trash can create very fat, very unhealthy bears, and it can kill them outright; all sorts of toxic items get mixed in with trash.
Understandably, Plum isn’t happy with us or her confinement. Given her size and righteous anger, we’re glad we built The Cub House with cinderblocks and not straw or sticks, as that shady Three Pigs Construction Company suggested. We doubt we’d have a building left. Plum needs to be outside, and the curators hope to let her out as soon as she finishes her deworming medication.🐻
The rest of the cubs are doing well. They’re entering hyperphagia, the yearly phase in a black bear’s life that compels them to eat as much as possible in preparation for winter and hibernation. The cubs look fluffier; the coat they were born with is changing into their first winter coat. The seasons are changing. 🐻
Thank you for giving our many cubs and one yearling a second chance at life in the wild.
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign:
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/
🐻Visit our online store to buy any of the merchandise unique to ABR. We’re sorry, but purchases are restricted to the USA.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We post one update daily, seven days a week. ... See MoreSee Less
44 CommentsComment on Facebook
EDIT NEEDED? “Thank you for belong our many cubs and one yearling get a second chance at life in the wild?” The last sentence of this post.
I have a question about apples (and tomatoes) as cub food. I am guessing that there are wild or abandoned apple trees within bear country and that bears would come across wild apples, cherries and other domesticated fruits and nuts. Does feeding them fruit that is also found in peoples' yards encourage them to visit residences? Is there any way to know. I DO understand why you are feeding them apples; with 27 cubs I am sure that tons of excess fruit from peoples' trees is a godsend. I am just curious if it could create a conflict.
Thank you again for the update on former ABR alumni Lucinda and her beautiful cubs. This makes all your hard work and dedication so worthwhile. The true mission statement of ABR ♥️. This came at a time when we all needed sone uplifting news. It appears that Spruce is getting gourmet meals with his smaller feedings. Glad he seems to be enjoying them. I know that Plum must be very confused by her situation and hope that she can be outside soon. She is quite the big girl, maybe even Jellyvean sized. Speaking of Jellybean, I can’t believe he and his accomplice tore up the cubby pool plumbing again! Can bears be put in Time Out 😂. I guess the C-C sisters might not agree. Thank you for your continued love and care for these unfortunate waifs 🙏🏻🐻♥️x28 plus curators
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ABR Daily Update - August 31, 2024 - Some Good News! 📰🎉🐻
Thank you for your generous welcome of Plum Bear, our most recent arrival. She’s doing well, and we’ll post a second update late this afternoon about all our 27 cubs and Spruce Bear.
We rarely hear about our former residents, and when we do, it’s usually bad news. At last, we’ve heard something different—something good!
Do any of you remember Lucinda Bear? Lucinda, a female yearling, arrived at Appalachian Bear Rescue on May 24, 2016. She was about sixteen months old and weighed only 18 pounds, another victim of the Famine of 2015-2016, caused by a failure of the hard mast (acorns and nuts). Bears didn’t hibernate that year because they lacked enough fat reserves to trigger their instinct; instead, they foraged all winter for what little food they could find. It was a terrible year; we took in 36 bears in 2015, followed by another 23 in early 2016. This remains our record, one we don’t want to break.🤞
All Lucinda needed was food and time, and we were happy to provide both. She was a clever cub who outwitted our then-curator, Coy Blair, several times by retrieving cherries from a Hav-a-Hart trap without triggering it. She had only seen a trap once—the day she was rescued—but she seemed to remember how it worked. Curator Coy was reduced to spying on her to see how she did it (it was balance and fancy footwork; very demure, very mindful). Finally, he startled her while she was eating the cherries; she tripped the trap, and the jig was up!
Lucinda spent time in the Cub House and in Acclimation Pen #4, which adjoined Wild Enclosure #4. Unknown to her, she was about to take part in an adventure in babysitting…baby bear sitting, that is. The sole occupant of WE #4 was Finnegan Bear, a cub who’d been in residence for months by himself. With no other cubs around, the curators were willing to take a very calculated risk and release Lucinda with him, hoping they might bond. Yearlings and cubs don’t usually mix in the wild, and that was true at ABR as well. Finnegan was curious about Lucinda, but she wanted nothing to do with him. With the arrival of cubs Andy and Eliza, Lucinda’s services (such as they were) were no longer needed, and she moved to an enclosure of her own.🐻
Lucinda thrived at ABR and was released back into the wild on July 18, 2016, weighing 54 pounds (24.49 kg). Yearlings are returned to the wild as soon as possible; they already have the skills to survive. However, Lucinda didn’t leave as she’d arrived. Unbeknownst to her, she sported a GPS tracking collar as part of Curator Coy’s 2015-2016 GPS collar study of our resident bears, post release. GPS collars are bulky, intrusive, risky, and expensive to operate; this was ABR’s first attempt at a collar study, and something we won’t do again unless their is another study or if a wildlife agency responsible for our bears asks.
Curator Coy followed Lucinda’s wanderings and actually saw a ground den she was using on January 20, 2017, six months after her release. Soon after, her GPS collar disengaged automatically, right on schedule, and Lucinda disappeared into the forest, closing our file on her…until last week.
Wildlife Biologist Ryan Williamson sent us photos of Lucinda (identified by her ear tags), who is now about nine and a half years old. The photos were taken several months ago—and she wasn’t alone! The yearling who wouldn’t babysit for us now has three cubs of her own! To top it off, we learned this is her third known litter. Lucinda established a home range in a remote area, but one visited at least yearly by wildlife biologists who’ve kept tabs on her. There were many leaky eyes at ABR; we’re so happy for Lucinda. This is what second chances are all about, and we thank you for giving Lucinda hers.🐻❤️
The results of Coy Blair’s study (which he submitted as his Master's thesis) may be downloaded free of charge at the following link.
trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/5388/?fbclid=IwAR0w5kQIrsqaScqWZItpHkQV6m00XEtUf05TxZ4plsQt7IwL_...
For a brief video overview of Curator Coy's study, please click the link below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUVPqAlur3k
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign:
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart.../
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🧸Please visit our online store for a selection of products unique to ABR. We're sorry, orders are restricted to the USA only.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We usually post one update daily, seven days a week. There will be a second post late this afternoon. ... See MoreSee Less
330 CommentsComment on Facebook
Precious!!!
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you for this amazing follow up story on Lucinda Bear! With all the sad stories lately regarding Momma Bears, it is wonderful to see this amazing ABR success story! Thank you Ranger Ryan, ABR, and of course beautiful Momma Bear Lucinda and her precious cubs. This is what it is all about! 🙏🏻🐻♥️
Oh this makes my heart happy!!!! I remember Lucinda well, and that awful year - that was when ABR became my most beloved animal rescue (and that's saying quite a lot, I have many I try to support as best I can). Lucinda is the absolute epitome of what ABR is all about. Yours weren't the only leaky eyes. Well done, ABR. Well done.
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